Fedor Nikitich Samoilov (; 24 April 1882 – 13 June 1952) was a Russian and Soviet textile worker, politician, and revolutionary. Born into a peasant family in the Vladimir Governorate, Samoilov worked in the textile industry, joining the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1903. He quickly became a leader of the party in the city of Ivanovo and played a role in the 1905 Revolution.
In 1912, Samoilov was elected to the Duma as a member of the RSDLP, aligned with the Bolsheviks. In early 1914, Samoilov fell ill and was invited by Vladimir Lenin to visit him in Kraków, where Lenin was then living in exile. There, Lenin suggested Samoilov seek treatment in Switzerland. He returned to Russia in late 1914 where along with the other Bolshevik members of the Duma, he was arrested and exile to Siberia.
He was released in early 1917 where he led the revolutionary effort in his home of Vladimir and became the Chairman of the Ivanovo-Voznesensky Soviet. Following the October Revolution, he held numerous posts in the Soviet government. He died in 1952.
Early life Fedor Nikitich Samoilov was born into a peasant family on 24 April 1882 in the village of Gomilenki, and was the eldest of three sons of Nikita Nikanorovich Samoilov and Darya Mikhailovna Samoilova.Burds, p. 13Samoilov, p. 5 Until the age of six, Samoilov lived in a family of twelve, consisting of his mother and father, grandfather, three grandmothers, two aunts, one uncle, his siblings, and himself.Samoilov, p. 5 The entire family was illiterate except for Nikita who had taught himself how to read.Samoilov, p. 9
In the winter of 1893, the factory that Nikita, worked at burned down.Burds, p. 13 This, along with bad harvests in the area, made it difficult for Nikita to find work in the area, pushing the family into hunger and poverty.Burds, p. 13 Nikita managed to find work as a sawyer in a nearby forest, allowing the family to survive during the autumn and summer.Burds, p. 13 In the winter of 1894, the Nikita became employed as a textile weaver in the nearby city of Ivanovo.Burds, p. 13 The job required Nikita to work in Ivanovo year-round, and as such, the whole family moved to the city.Burds, p. 14 Initially, Nikita was hesitant to move the family to Ivanovo, but on the insistence of Fedor, his mother, and his brother, as well as influenced by poor harvest on their Gomilenki allotment, the family sold its cow and moved.Burds, p. 14
It was at this time that Fedor got his first job at the age of 12, at a hotel in the centre of Ivanovo.Samoilov, p. 18 He worked for 18 hours a day and was only allowed three days off a year.Samoilov, p. 19 Samoilov later recalled that his work environment was harsh, with the adult staff frequently drinking, and the owner showing more concern for broken dishes than for injured workers.Samoilov, p. 20 He also recalled that a cook's assistant was severely beaten by his superior, and that the owner refused to take the assistant's complaint the court.Samoilov, p. 20
In the spring of 1896, at age 14, Samoilov left the hotel to work in a small shop selling musical instruments, wallpaper, and hunting supplies, where he performed the duties of a clerk, working long hours and running errands for the owner's family.Samoilov, p. 22 After about a year and a half, having turned 15, he decided to leave the shop for factory work, and despite his father's initial hesitation, a position was found for him in mid-1897.Samoilov, p. 25 He began work at the factory measuring calico on a machine, in a deafeningly noisy room filled with cotton dust.Samoilov, p. 26
In the spring of 1898, the Samoilov family made the decision to move back to the village, however Fedor remained alone in Ivanovo to work at the factory.Burds, p. 15Burds, p. 127
Samoilov joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) in 1903. During the 1905 Revolution, Samoilov was one of the leaders of the general strike in Ivanovo and was a member of the Northern Committee of the RSDLP. From 1906 until 1908, he was the chairman of the textile printer's union, and was a member of one of Russia's first soviets.
Fourth State Duma From the founding of Pravda in May 1912, Samoilov was actively involved with the newspaper. In January–February 1913, Pravda published a series of articles by Samoilov and other deputies under the heading "Impressions of Social Democratic Deputies from the Provinces." Samoilov also helped distribute confiscated issues of Pravda to local organizations via secret addresses, and played a key role in supplying the newspaper to the Ivanovo-Voznesensk region, where the Vladimir governor complained that his articles aroused workers against the authorities. He was also involved in establishing the Moscow workers' newspaper Nash Put in 1913.
Samoilov was elected to the Fourth State Duma of the Russian Empire at the election of September 1912, along with five other Bolsheviks. The RSDLP was initially a united front in the fourth Duma, but relations between the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks quickly broke down. Following the split, Samoilov became the treasurer of the Bolshevik faction.Badayev, p. 133
In November 1913, Samoilov spoke in the State Duma on educational policy, and Lenin later praised him for ably formulating the proletarian position against segregating schools by nationality.
Samoilov returned to Petrograd in January 1914, but found himself in poor health. He was invited to Kraków later that month by Vladimir Lenin after learning of his poor health. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by Nadezhda Krupskaya and, several days later, met Lenin in person for the first time, finding him to be a simple, unassuming man with unusually penetrating eyes. Both Lenin and Krupskaya, although interested in the news Samoilov had brought back from Russia, limited his talking time during conversations, insisting he not tire himself. Lenin arranged for Samoilov to see a prominent physician, Dr. Landau, who recommended treatment in Switzerland.
In February 1914, Lenin wrote to Samoilov, who was then recuperating in Switzerland, advising him to rest, eat well, drink milk, monitor his weight, and see a doctor regularly, while also offering to arrange visitors if he felt lonely. In April, Lenin wrote to fellow Bolshevik Grigory Shklovsky expressing concern that Samoilov's health had worsened while receiving treatment in Switzerland, with insomnia and boredom hindering his recovery. Lenin arranged for a referral to a nerve specialist and a sanatorium in Vevey, urging Shklovsky to ensure Samoilov received proper care and to spend what was necessary, as the party needed him restored to health by autumn. In May, Lenin wrote to Shklovsky asking why he had not replied about arranging manual work for Samoilov, which a nerve specialist had advised as part of his treatment.
Samoilov noted that he corresponded regularly with Lenin during his time in Switzerland, but all of Lenin's letters to him were burned during his arrest in Petrograd later that year, along with many other materials. By July, Samoilov felt well enough to prepare for his return to Russia, but the outbreak of the First World War prevented his departure.
He later received a telegram from Lenin, then in Austria, requesting money, and using his salary as a Duma deputy, which had recently arrived from Petrograd, he sent 500 francs. Samoilov was later told that Lenin did not receive the sum, as Lenin was only informed that a postal order had arrived in his name but could not be released to him, given his status as a citizen of a country at war with Austria.
Samoilov also recalled being surveilled by Swiss police, who suspected him of spying for Russia because of his correspondence with Lenin. After several political emigrants with whom he was in contact were unexpectedly arrested, he noticed unfamiliar men on bicycles watching him from near the villa where he was staying. Samoilov also discovered that the police had intended to arrest him as well but did not dare, given his status as a Duma deputy, fearing "diplomatic complications." This diminished Samoilov's view of Switzerland, which he had until then viewed as the world's most democratic country.
In another letter to Shklovsky on 31 July 1914, Lenin stressed that Samoilov should attend the International Socialist Congress—which had been rescheduled to Paris for 9 August due to the outbreak of war between Austria and Serbia—if his health allowed, since other Duma deputies might not arrive from Russia, and asked Shklovsky to arrange travel and accommodation for him near the city. Lenin also requested a coded telegram reply—"jedet" if Samoilov could go, "jedem" if both were going, or "nievozmozno" if it was impossible.
Arrest and exile
In late July 1914, Russia entered into World War I. At a Bolshevik conference held in early November, at which Samoilov was a delegate, the party began to organise a campaign to oppose the war.Badayev, p. 221 The conference was held in a private apartment on 28 Viborg Road, Ozyorky, a suburb on the outskirts of Petrograd where the Gavrilovs, factory clerk and his wife, lived.Badayev, p. 221 However, at 5 p.m. on 4 November, the third day of the conference, police broke into the conference.Badayev, p. 221Badayev, p. 223 The police began to search and arrest those who were present, although the delegates of the conference claimed that they were only meeting to celebrate the wedding anniversary of the Gavrilovs.Badayev, p. 220 The members of the Duma present protested, claiming that as members of the Duma, they could not be searched without authorisation from the Duma.Badayev, p. 223 After an initial movement of hesitation, the police ignored their protests and arrested them, confiscated their positions, including Samoilov's notebook and pamphlets he had in his possession.Badayev, p. 224
After the search, all delegates of the conference except for those who were members of the Duma were taken to prison.Badayev, p. 224 The Duma members, however, were released.Badayev, p. 224 The Duma members, no longer believing they had the immunity they once enjoyed, quickly got to work destroying sensitive party documents they had in their apartments, particularly contact lists of members, which they feared could lead to thousands of party members being imprisoned or exiled should they fall into police hands.Badayev, p. 225 Such documents were previously stored in the houses of deputies as they were believed to be the safest places for them.Badayev, p. 225
On the night of 5-6 November, the Bolshevik deputies were arrested.Badayev, p. 226 The deputies were held in solitary confinement and isolated from the outside world until their trial.Badayev, p. 236 While in custody, the delegates repeatedly stressed that they were not holding a conference in the apartment, but simply having a gathering, however as they were unable to communicate with each other, they offered different explanations.Badayev, p. 238 They had previously agreed that they should prevent the police from finding out they had held a conference and that they were simply guests of Mrs. Gavrilov.Badayev, p. 236 Samoylov told the examining magistrate that the delegates had met there by accident, while Lev Kamenev claimed they were meeting in order to negotiate the publication of a worker's newspaper, and Alexei Badayev claimed he was there "at the personal invitation of Mrs. Gavrilov."Badayev, p. 237Badayev, p. 238